Urban: The entrance to the capital city is going to be smoother without vehicles coming from four directions and converging at the busy and confusing narrow cross roads near the Bhutan Oil Distributor fuel station.

Thromde to relocate Lungtenzampa fuel station

Urban: The entrance to the capital city is going to be smoother without vehicles coming from four directions and converging at the busy and confusing narrow cross roads near the Bhutan Oil Distributor fuel station.

The Thimphu thromde has finalised plans to relocate the existing fuel station, located opposite the police headquarters, belonging to the Tashi Group of Companies and has massive development plans for the area as per the Thimphu Structural Plan 2002-2027.

The area where the fuel station, commonly referred to as BOD, is located will be developed into the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Memorial Gateway along the Norzin Lam entrance to the core area of Thimphu city.

Thimphu Thrompon Kinley Dorji said that the thromde was directed by the National Consultative Committee for Human Settlements (NCCHS), to implement a 25-year master plan for the capital city, which was approved by the Cabinet in 2003.

“Based on the traffic congestion and safety consideration, the thromde will pursue with Tashi Group to move the existing fuel station at Lungtenzampa to the identified areas,” Thrompon Kinley Dorji said. “Negotiation will be initiated very soon.”

He said that the thromde will construct a circular road on the area the BOD fuel station occupies and also provide a facelift to the Lungtenzampa flyover bridge. To relocate the existing fuel station, according to Thrompon Kinley Dorji, the thromde has identified two locations in Dechencholing and Ramtokto.

He said that the fuel station in Dechencholing will cater to the people residing in the northern part of Thimphu city while other one in Ramtokto can cater to South Thimphu as well as vehicles travelling on the Thimphu-Phuentsholing highway.

The Land Act 2007 empowers the government to acquire registered land for public interests, and provide substitute land or cash compensation, or both, as compensation.

E-2 precinct

Ownership of the present fuel station and the old taxi-parking area, was granted to Tashi Commercial Corporation (TCC) by the judiciary after a six year legal battle between Thimphu thromde and the Tashi Group.

However, the area falls under the E-2 (Environmental precinct) category of the Thimphu Structural Plan. The precinct is an area in the town designated for specific or restricted use, meaning that the landowner cannot develop anything on it other than to maintain it as a “green space”.

According to thromde officials, both parties were not aware that the existing area, adjacent to the Lungtenzampa fuel station, was categorized as E-2 until the passing of the judgment by the Supreme Court on the ownership of the old taxi-parking area in favour of TCC.

Following the Supreme Court verdict, the thromde then decided to acquire the land for public use. “We wrote to the National Land Commission (NLC) for acquiring the land from TCC,” the thrompon said. “However, the NLC had wrote back to us stating that the thromde is not allowed to acquire the land for some reasons,” he added.

TCC had submitted a proposal to the thromde for the construction of a building on the area.

According to a source, the thromde then declared the old taxi-parking area as a “green zone” disallowing TCC from carrying out any construction activity.

TCC then requested the thromde to change the area’s E-2 status in the Thimphu Structural Plan. “Since the thromde has no authority to change, we forwarded TCC’s proposal to the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement, which then submitted to the NCCHS for consideration,” Thrompon Kinley Dorji said. “NCCHS, during its committee meeting held in August this year, turned down the proposal and resolved to retain it as per the Thimphu Structural Plan.”

Most structural and urban development plans are usually initiated and prepared by the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement and then approved by the NCCHS, which is a national level committee that deals with human settlements, including urban development.

The thrompon said that the Thimphu Structural Plan is a 25-year plan and they can implement it as and when the thromde determines it is the right time.

Asked why the thromde delayed implementing the E-2 precinct, the thrompon said that the requirement to have it implemented was not pressing before. “Now with the increasing number of vehicles, traffic jams and long queues of vehicles at the fuel station, it is inconvenient to the residents, the thromde feels it is time to implement the structural plan as endorsed by the NCCHS,” he said.

Both motorists and pedestrians welcome the move initiated by the thromde. “In the next few years we can drive safely through the Thimphu City gate,” a motorist said.

The area includes several lanes converging and is a high-traffic zone for both vehicles and pedestrians which results in traffic congestion during peak hours. Many have also said that a fuel station at the entry point of the capital city is an eyesore.

“It is the most inconvenient, inappropriately located infrastructure at the mouth of the capital city,” a frustrated father, who used to drop and pick up his children studying in Lungtenzampa school regularly, said.

Kuensel could not contact Tashi Group of Companies for comment as its top officials were out of the country.

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2 comments

“… the area falls under the E-2 (Environmental precinct) category of the Thimphu Structural Plan. The precinct is an area in the town designated for specific or restricted use, meaning that the landowner cannot develop anything on it other than to maintain it as a “green space”.”

If government plans to mark certain areas for definite purpose and part of that area falls as private property, the views of the stakeholders must be taken for consent or for arranging replacement from another place in the locality in case of disagreement. If the properties of private parties are subjected to manipulation by government organizations in the name of planning disallowing the owners from productive use of their properties, rents must be paid to the owners annually for holding the space, at the rates fixed by TCC for hiring of such spaces in the locality in the form of lease payment.

Unless mutually agreeable dual responsibility is spelt out, there is no guarantee that governmental institutions will not be used by hostile individuals with special interest to settle scores against private parties, enjoying the protection of the institutions while perpetrating against individuals from public.

Moreover, in respect to particular space here, no reason seems to justify validity to mark the area as green space. It is so for reason that areas immediately around the implicated patch of less than half acres have built spaces. Having green space in that small area does not seem to fulfill any productive purpose, especially so being part of the core area in the city.

It will be of great convenience to the public if Thromde acquires this place to build pick and drop terminal for public transport. Dreaming to have green space in odd place presents suspicion on the motif of active players…

This is the most wonderful news for the capital. Congratulations and thank you whoever came up with the master plan to throw this eye sore somewhere else.
But I hope the plan also includes the lower part of the RBP complex so that the city’s face will be further better.

Bad day
- to consecrate
- to learn astrology
- to appoint to new post
- to shift house
- to hand and take over office
- to enter in a new house
- to start new business
- to marry
- to sell land

A good day for rituals (laza) for those born in the tiger and rabbit years.
Generally a good day (sogza) for those born in the monkey and rooster years.
A bad day (shedza) for those born in the ox and dragon years.

************************************

December 28, ThursdayGood day
- to perform daily rituals

Bad day
- to consecrate
- to hand and take over office
- to learn astrology
- to roof house
- to marry
- to celebrate
- to shift house
- to enter in a new house
- to start new business
- to venture on a journey
- to sell land

A good day for rituals (laza) for those born in the sheep, snake and rooster years.
Generally a good day (sogza) for those born in the snake and horse years.
A bad day (shedza) for those born in the tiger and rabbit years.